A Writer’s Journal

To all of you out there who are my friends and readers and who are mothers, a blessing to you for a day where you are shown how much you’re loved and appreciated, and may you have many more years of daily love and appreciation to come.

I was going to discuss several points about blogging that recently came up, but decided to save it for an article for this week’s SDR blog. So there! 😉

When I got my mom her bookstore gift card, I also decided to pick up a couple of books for myself. This store had nothing by any of the authors from MISSPELLED, which annoyed me. However, I picked up BLOOD KING, Gail Z. Martin’s next book (and I’m hoping there are fewer typos than in THE SUMMONER). I’m interested to see where the story goes from where THE SUMMONER stopped. I also picked up a book called DHAMPIR by Barb & J.C. Hendee, which looks and sounds very interesting. I think it’s the first of a series. It’s supposed to be quite witty, according to an actual person who recommended it to me. It’s a person whose opinion I trust, and someone who didn’t just think it was good because she liked it, but she thought the writing, the characters, and the wit would be aspects to which I’d respond.

I know we live in the Cult of the Book Blurb, but I hate them. Blurbs on the cover are more likely to make me put the book down and not buy it than to take it to the register. I don’t want to be told what to think about it, unless I personally know the author and have a reason to respect that author’s opinion. And then, the book will be recommended to me other than on a blurb. A lot of the cover art nowadays also turns me off – it’s too similar.

MISSPELLED has one of the best covers I’ve seen in a long time. But, actually, it was the title that made me pick up the book. I wanted an anthology, and the title was clever. Then I looked at the cover, which I thought was lovely. Then I looked at the editor, whose name was new-to-me, and thought, “Great.” Then I read the back of the book, and it sounded good. I just looked at the cover and, guess what – no blurbs! No wonder I bought it. Then I read a few random paragraphs. And it had to come home with me.

And it just happens to be one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.

Anyway, I went to the bakery to get my mom a cheesecake for Mother’s Day. Cheesecake is her favorite thing, and I’ve never mastered the art of making a really good one. I can make all sorts of other cakes, but haven’t gotten the knack down for cheesecake.

In the afternoon, I wrote my pre-Preakness article, started the write-up for Confidential Job #1, roughed out in my head the script (tentatively titled THE MATILDA MURDERS), caught up on blogs and BookMooch, and roughed out two more stories. I also started playing with a better tracking system for the short stories. The Submission Log’s useful to let me know what’s out, what’s in, what’s paid, but I need a history of each story in one place, not different documents for different years, and a central location as to the length, pseudonym, and genre (or lack of genre) for each. It’ll take weeks to sort out properly, but it will be worth it in the long run.

I’m reading SUMMERS AT CASTLE AUBURN, which I enjoy. I see glimmers of some of my favorite characters in the Twelve Houses series here – they could be relatives; they are, at least, what Anne of Green Gables would call “kindred spirits”. Elisandra in this book reminds me of Casserah; Roderick could be a more easy-going cousin to Justin. It’s very interesting.

I’m getting a new, 5 shelf oak bookcase on Tuesday. Can’t wait. Then I can bring more books back out of storage.

On, in response to all your helpful comments about how to stop the mail tampering – building management knows it’s happening and doesn’t care. The perpetrator claims he’s doing it at their instruction. It is simply another tactic o their part to drive people out of the building. Management has been talked to about this for months. Now, it’s time to bring in the feds. When one or more of their people are arrested, maybe they’ll realize we mean business.

Follow Me On Twitter!

Twitter Updates

Pages

NMLC’s Mermaid Ball August 12, 2016

Devon’s Random Newsletter

To get Devon's Random Newsletter, send an email to devonsrandomnewsletter at gmail dot com with "Subscribe" in the header.

Devon’s Bookstore

THE JAIN LAZARUS ADVENTURES

Hex Breaker by Devon Ellington. A Jain Lazarus Adventure. Hex Breaker Jain Lazarus joins the crew of a cursed film, teaming with tough, practical Detective Wyatt East on an adventure fighting zombies, ceremonial magicians, the town wife-beater, the messenger of the gods, and their own pasts.
Available from Solstice Publishing and Amazon Kindle.
Visit the site for the Jain Lazarus adventures.

"

"The Possession of Nattie Filmore: A Jain Lazarus Adventure” by Devon Ellington. If you loved HEX BREAKER, you’ll love spending time with Jain and Wyatt as they try to solve a haunted house mystery. Read an excerpt of the story here.

"First Feet" by Devon Ellington. Jain, Wyatt, and Billy are in far-flung locations on a snowy New Year's Eve when they are visited by a mysterious "first footer.". Read an excerpt here

DIXIE DUST RUMORS

By Jenny Storm. A young girl fights to save her horse trainer father's reputation when vicious rumors could ruin their lives. Purchase from eTreaures Publishing!

Penny's Dreadfuls

Fast, fun, retro-futuristic fiction in the best tradition of the infamous Penny Dreadfuls! These stories are being re-worked and will be re-issued through a new site in spring of 2016.

Full Circle: An Ars Concordia Anthology. Edited by Colin Galbraith. My story is “Pauvre Bob”, set at Arlington Race Track in Illinois is included in this wonderful collection of short stories and poetry. You can download it free here.